Working Group on Civil Rights Accountability.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details about how nonprofit organizations become eligible to submit reports or what criteria are used.

Working Group on Civil Rights Accountability

The bill establishes a working group within the Department of Justice to track and report civil rights violations related to federal immigration enforcement.

What This Bill Does

• Establishes the Working Group on Civil Rights Accountability in the Department of Justice starting July 1, 2027.
• Requires the group to develop and maintain a statewide reporting dashboard with specific data fields for alleged constitutional or civil rights violations from federal immigration activities.
• Authorizes eligible nonprofit organizations to submit reports to the dashboard following established standards and verification procedures.
• Requires the working group to produce an annual report starting January 1, 2028, containing information and policy recommendations on civil rights issues related to federal immigration enforcement.
• Exempts these reports from California's Public Records Act disclosure requirements.

Who It Names or Affects

• The Department of Justice
• Nonprofit organizations eligible to submit reports
• People affected by federal immigration enforcement activities

Terms To Know

Civil Rights Accountability

Ensuring that actions taken by government agencies, especially those related to immigration enforcement, do not violate individuals' constitutional or civil rights.

Public Records Act

A law in California that requires public access to records of government bodies and officials unless there is a specific exemption.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify how the working group will be funded.
• It is unclear what criteria make a nonprofit organization eligible to submit reports.
• The effectiveness of exempting annual reports from public records disclosure requirements may limit transparency.

Official Summary Text

AB 2662, as amended, Carrillo.
Working Group on Civil Rights Accountability.
Existing law requires law enforcement and state and local governments to interact with and report on federal action against individuals based on their perceived or actual immigration status in various specified manners. Under existing law, for example, a local governing body of any county, city, or city and county in which a local law enforcement agency has provided access to an individual during the last year by the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is required to hold at least one community forum, as specified, to provide public information about ICE’s access to individuals and to receive and consider public comment.
This bill would establish within the Department of Justice on July 1, 2027, the Working Group on Civil Rights Accountability, consisting of 12 appointed members, to develop and maintain a statewide reporting
dashboard with specific data fields to document and categorize alleged constitutional or civil rights violations arising from federal immigration enforcement activities within the state. The bill would require a nonprofit organization, if eligible as specified, to be authorized to submit reports to the dashboard. The bill would require the department to establish specific standards, protocols, and procedures for a nonprofit organization to submit reports to the dashboard, including establishing data verification procedures. The bill would require the working
group
group, beginning January 1, 2028, and on each January 1 thereafter,
to submit
an annual
a
report of specific information and policy recommendations to the Legislature and make that annual report publicly available.
This bill would also exempt the reports required pursuant to the above-described provisions from the disclosure requirements of the California Public Records Act.
The bill would make legislative findings and declarations in support of its provisions.
Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest.
This
bill would make legislative findings to that effect.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF